


My Heroes, by Cole Anderson.

by orphan_account



Series: Our Love is Endless [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Car Accidents, Essays, Fluff and Angst, Good Parent Hank Anderson, Heart Attacks, Human Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Cole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 21:50:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17609675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: An essay written by Cole Anderson about his dads and the love that they have for each other.





	My Heroes, by Cole Anderson.

**Author's Note:**

> "I'm going to be calling my parents by their respective names, only because it can get a bit confusing with two dads," Cole says to his class as he positions himself at the podium. He looks down at his essay and lets out a slow breath. "Alright... let's get going."

Cole Anderson  
English 11   
January 29th, 2027.

 

Mrs. Norris asked us to write an essay about our hero. It could be fictional, real, someone we know, or someone we’ve never met. As soon as we got the assignment I knew who I wanted to write about. This essay is about two of my heroes, my dad, Hank, and my father, or papa, Connor.  Their love has inspired me greatly, and I want them to know how much it has done so.

 

I’m writing this while speaking to my parents about their life, and currently, both of them are curled up on the couch. My dad, Hank, has lost all feeling in his legs and the use of his right arm, so it’s very sweet to see them all tangled into each other. Hank hasn’t always been like this. In fact, he was the quarterback of this very high school and was one of the wrestling champions of 2001. His senior picture sits in Alumni Hall. He was very active and often went running, my father, Connor, recalls. Dad smiles at the mention of that. We think he misses running. I’m sure he misses a lot of things.

 

My parents have known each other since 1996 when Hank was in sixth grade, and Connor was in fifth. Hank punched a seventh grader in the face because he was picking on Connor, and that was the moment Connor fell in love, he claims. From 1998 to 2027, my parents have been together,  and they will be celebrating 30 years together just next year. They’ve never been with anyone else, says Connor, and they never really planned to be. “Our souls were meant to be.”

 

In 2018, my dad and I were involved in a car crash that changed all of our lives. Hank had a stroke at the wheel, rolled past a stop sign, and we got t-boned. He got the worst of it all and still suffers to this day due to the accident. He was in a coma for a month, with no signs of coming out of it. Miraculously, he somehow pulled through and entered a minimally conscious state for the next couple of weeks. Connor says that he never really pulled out of that state, but the progress that he made was amazing. The stroke impacted his speech, the use of his hands, and his memory. The crash impacted the use of his legs, his back, and also his memory, as he had a TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury. Right now, he’s sitting on the couch and watching both of us. Connor smiles at him, and he smiles back.

 

Connor gave up a lot for my dad. He gave up a criminology career and became an STNA- a State Tested Nursing Aide- just so he could care for dad at home. My dad spent three months at a rehab facility, and I remember it being hell for papa. The people there were nice, I think, but Papa just wanted dad home. Upon asking dad if he remembered the rehab facility, he just gave me a confused look. Connor says that he was just in so much pain, and so out of it, that he probably wouldn’t remember even if he had a perfect memory.

 

My dads are my heroes for many reasons. The pain they’ve gone through, the amount of time they’ve spent loving each other, and just how much they truly are in love. There was a box, filled with letter after letter to Connor, and he wasn’t allowed to open it. Hank wouldn’t let him. After the crash, when things were looking down, Connor decided to open up the box and see what was inside. Letters, yeah, but also their promise rings. Their graduation cords, braided together, a dried rose, some old polaroids, and an old box that had dozens of pictures in it. Connor reads some of the letters to Hank every day. “I think he remembers. Don’t you?” He looks at dad, and dad smiles.

 

My papa, Connor, is my hero due to how much he sacrificed for my dad. He’s shown me that love knows no boundaries and that it honestly heals. He’s my hero because no matter what, he’s always happy. He’s always cheerful and hopeful. He’s always ready to tackle the day, whatever may come his way. My dad, Hank, is my hero due to how much he’s been through. He loves and loves and continues to love, even on days where he feels like giving up. And I know he has a lot of those days. He’s my hero because of how he looks at papa. He’ll always know who Connor is. He’ll always be in love.

 

My heroes aren’t perfect, and their story is a long one, but It’s honestly my favorite story to listen to, just because it shows you that true love exists. Soulmates exist. If I could go back in time and save my dad, I would in a heartbeat, but also, our life is pretty perfect the way it is now. And I don’t think my parents have any plans on changing it anytime soon.

  



End file.
